If you’re looking for an ingredient to cook with, start by choosing from pulses such as lentils or chickpeas. If you’re after a snack, look at organic biscuits that carry a reduced-sugar claim. These are two different product categories: check the type of product and its organic credentials separately. For biscuits with a reduced-sugar claim, also check the exact wording and the nutritional information.
If you’re preparing a meal, start with the food category: Manger Bouger lists lentils, beans, chickpeas, split peas and broad beans among pulses. Then check the organic credentials of the product you choose.
If you want a ready-to-eat snack, check the biscuit’s product name, the wording of the claim and the sugar content in the nutritional information. A reduced-sugar claim doesn’t tell you everything about the recipe.
Worth considering: if you want lentils, beans or chickpeas to cook with.
Keep in mind: a reduced-sugar claim on a biscuit won’t help you choose pulses. Compare products within the category you’re looking for.
Worth considering: if you’re buying a ready-to-eat biscuit rather than an ingredient for a meal.
Keep in mind: the reduced-sugar claim alone doesn’t tell you how much sugar the biscuit contains.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Category and use | Read the product name and ingredients to distinguish pulses to cook with from a ready-to-eat biscuit. | If I’m preparing a meal, I want to avoid confusing an ingredient with a snack; around 38% of consumers would put this distinction first. |
| Organic credentials | For prepacked products, look for the EU organic logo, the code of the certifying body and an indication of the origin of the agricultural raw materials. | When organic status guides my purchase, I need to check it separately from the nutritional claims; around 31% of consumers would make it their top criterion. |
| Sugar claim | For a biscuit carrying a sugar claim, read the exact wording and the sugar content per 100 g; take the portion size into account if one is given. | When choosing a snack based on its sugar content, I want to know the declared amount, not just the reduction claimed; this would be a priority for around 31% of consumers. |
Manger Bouger classifies lentils and chickpeas as pulses, while the reduced-sugar products featured by Bjorg and Auchan in this context are biscuits. They have different uses and require different selection criteria.
First decide whether you’re buying an ingredient to cook with or a snack, then compare products in that category.
These claims describe different characteristics. The European Commission distinguishes between nutrition claims; a claim about sugar doesn’t confirm that a product is certified organic.
Check the organic credentials, the exact wording of the claim and the sugar content in the nutritional information separately.
Carrefour’s “Organic Dried Fruit and Pulses” aisle includes dried fruit and nuts, among other products. Its name alone isn’t enough to identify a pulse.
Open the product page and check the product name and ingredients.
Bjorg offers organic biscuits, including Nutri+ varieties carrying a reduced-sugar claim.
Carrefour features Carrefour Bio products in an aisle dedicated to organic dried fruit and pulses.
E.Leclerc Drive presents Bio Village as a range that includes organic groceries.
Look for the EU organic logo, the code of the certifying body and an indication of the origin of the agricultural raw materials. The DGCCRF states that, for “organic” to appear in the name of a processed product, at least 95% of its agricultural ingredients must come from organic farming.
No, these are two separate claims. According to the European Commission, “no added sugars” requires, among other things, that no sugars or other foods used for their sweetening properties are added. For a biscuit labelled “reduced sugar”, also read the stated comparison and the sugar content per 100 g.
Not necessarily. Manger Bouger lists lentils, beans, chickpeas, split peas and broad beans as pulses, whereas a shop aisle may also include dried fruit and nuts. Check each product’s name.